"Each time a new version of Windows is released, many computer users find that their hardware is suddenly outdated. For cash-strapped schools, upgrading to the latest hardware with each major software release is simply impossible. A New York startup called NeverWare is offering a possible solution - a server that lets even decade-old PCs upgrade to the latest Windows 7 operating system."

Are you connected to internet? i hardly belive that is Microsoft itself that makes that the old version on windows behave slow (with silent "upgrades" that their only purpose is slowdown the system) on the same hardware to force people to upgrade to new sistems

It actually runs windows xp sp3 and Molinux 2.0 (a spanish puppy linux clone) in a 10gb IDE quantum disk (5,5GB windows and 4GB Linux). I only use this computer to surf the web through TOR, and that is something that linux does faster than XP (the XP installation is 3 years old, but this OS only has a few apps installed).

This machine has nothing to do with my brand new (well, actually 14 months old) core i7 860, but I can use it for what I want it.

On the other hand, the planned obsolescence is something very real since the begining of the 20th century and the Phoebus cartel...nothing new